


Exploration of a Dream

by ofdogsandwriting



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mertalia, no beta we die like men, spamano - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 06:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17740604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofdogsandwriting/pseuds/ofdogsandwriting
Summary: Lovino always dreamed of what it would be like to explore the land of humans. Antonio shared this same dream, and discovered a way for them to make it a reality.





	1. Breaking an Oath

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift meant for yumegen746 on Tumblr for weekofhetalia's gift exchange.
> 
> I wanna apologise beforehand if anything seems a bit ooc, I haven’t written much of Romano before, let alone Spain or Spamano, which could be considered a crime. But I hope I can do them at least a little justice. I hope you like your gift!

With a tilt of his head, Lovino observed a crab scuttle across the large rock he laid on, relaxing under the warmth of the sun that seeped through the water. He huffed, tempted to knock the creature away with his tail, having claimed this spot first.  
  
Reluctantly, he let the tiny sea critter stay, feeling generous enough to share for awhile.

He laid down, closed his eyes, and basked in the warmth of the water, that was, until he heard the scuttling again. He cracked an eye open, prepared to scold the tiny crab, until he noticed that the source of the noise had been from a second, smaller crab.

The two crabs watched each other, and in an instant, they started clipping their pincers together, fighting over the spot that rightfully belonged to them. Snapping and tapping frantically, each movement was further irritating.

The spot did not belong to either of them, it belonged to Lovino.

“Hey, cut it out! I’m trying to relax!” He scooped one of the critters into his hand and lightly swatted at the other, the bolder, smaller one.

Determined to get at the crab in Lovino’s hand, the smaller one crawled up him, and he cried out in surprise. The feeling of crab’s feet against his scales was not a comfortable one.

“I said, cut it out! You little assholes never listen! You’re as hard as your shells!” He shouted before holding the one crab up in his hand, and using his other to snatch the other one up.

As he held the two crabs, they both started to takes swings at each other, squirming and moving in his grasp, despite being suspended in his hands.  
  
"Lovino, my love!" came the voice he had been waiting for all afternoon.  
  
"What?! I'm a little busy here!" He snapped, trying to hold the two crabs apart that wanted nothing but to fight each other for the spot that belonged to the merman anyways.  
  
Antonio- bless his merman ass- swept in to save him, taking one of the crabs in his own hands and pulling it away.  
  
"I've got some exciting news!" He piped up eagerly, blissfully ignoring the crab that struggled against his hold. "I’m going to explore the human world!"  
  
"What?! Don't you know the rules of the undersea?!!" He leaves Lovino for the entire morning and comes back with absolute ludicrous information. There was no way Antonio could go to the human world. Every merperson knew that it was highly against the rules. If humans knew of their existence, then they would be hunted, just as their sea brethren are.

Speculation of their existence had already been on the rise. Rumors of distant seas where some humans had set out in search of them. Other rumors have already claimed merpeople to be taken by them. The thought was scary.  
  
"Aw, come on, Lovi, I know you want to come. We’re gonna do it together!"

“Together? Are you crazy?!”

“Yeah! I mean, to the together part. You’ve told me that you want to see the human world. I’ve figured out a way that we can do it!”

Yet, Lovino had always dreamed of seeing the human world, and had told his love Antonio of these dreams many times. During the times of laying in coral reefs together, watching a rainbow of fish swim by, times of quiet serenity in the depths, with nothing but them together in a moment of peace, and during times of exploring sunken ships. Lovino would ponder aloud what humans used all of the strange contraptions for, and wondered how they lived above water.

Antonio had listened to all of it, to his realization, wanted to what they both dreamed of, and took action towards that goal.

Now he kinda felt stupid for sitting on a rock all day.

“What’s your plan for us being in the human world then?” He decided to listen to what Antonio had to say.

“You know those two humans I hang out with?” He began, and Lovino already hated where this was going.

Those two humans Antonio seemed fond of, are pirates of the sea, from what he heard, the type of human responsible for causing ships to be sunk to the depths for merpeople like them to find, or fish to call a new home. They caused destruction, the opposite of what merpeople lived for.

Antonio on many occasions has met with these two people he speaks of, and talks fondly about them. As time passed, Romano noticed how happy they made him, and he had stopped his initial complaining about it being against the rules, but it never stopped him from worrying.

Not all humans are dangerous. He did want to see land and explore the human world, but they equally left him wary.

Antonio began to explain his idea. He had a plan to become pirates with them, to be able to board their ship without straying too far from the sea.

They would first dry themselves off on shore and transform into humans, dress up in clothing taken from one of the sunken ships, and meet the two pirates by the docks at dusk. Apparently that is what Antonio had been doing all morning, talking to them about joining them on their ship. Thankfully, he had already told them about Lovino coming along.

It would all be without straying too far from the water, for merpeople who tread too far into land, and chose to take the path of a human, lost their abilities to become a merperson again. With being on a ship near the sea, they would always be above water, close enough to never stray too far. They would “dock” as Antonio called it, and be able to explore human cities and the nature nearby as well.

It seemed risky all the same. Exposure to too much water can cause a merperson to transform back into their original form, and with the sea all around them, that would be a lot of water.

Lovino always found it weird that, despite them being able to transform into humans, they were forbidden from doing so. Due to the nature of land people, there was a split in the beliefs of sharing the land with them. It was too dangerous, too harmful for their kind.

One could think to tie the broken string between humans and merpeople, to find some kind of peace where they could roam freely without being hidden. Lovino was not the one to think of doing it, but he did want to know what it was like beyond the boundaries of the sea.

“So, you’re telling me, that we can hide ourselves amongst your human friends by using them, and get away with pretending to be human for awhile?”

Antonio nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I said. It’s the perfect chance. We can see human land, while also being close to the sea! Although, using them sounds a little harsh. I get to spend time with them, I’m not using them.”

The crab, who had long since given up, was placed carefully on the ground by Antonio’s gentle hands. It scuttled off, deciding to find a different spot to claim.

After that crab was out of sight, Lovino placed the one he held down.

Lovino eyed him for a moment.

“Or, not exactly?” Antonio murmured doubtfully.

“Don’t worry about it, they’re your friends or whatever, you’re not using them. I am though.” He assured Antonio in his own way. “You talking to those guys is already a red coral. If you ever get caught, you’ve already got enough on you to be kicked out of our society. Guess if you’re getting kicked out, we may as well get kicked out together.”

Antonio smiled, and that bright smile always warmed Lovino’s heart. He understood the sentiment behind the words as clear as day, that he never planned on leaving his side.

  
“Those guys don’t know you’re a merman, right? How the hell have they not figured it out yet?” Lovino decided to ask.

“Well, normally I talk to them at night, and I try to hide my fins and tail, and I don’t get too close. So they can’t really see me.”

“You swim around in the water, far enough away so they can’t see your fins, but close enough to talk to them? You’ve never left the water, and this was always during the night when humans normally don’t swim? What the hell are they doing at night anyways?”

“They drink something called “ale” by the sea together,” Antonio answered, as though he knew Lovino would ask.

“I’m really surprised your friends haven’t noticed yet. I’m a merperson, and that sounds really fishy. And on top of all that, they didn’t even notice this morning. They must be a couple of idiots.”

“But they’re still my friends,” Antonio smiled again, as brightly as ever.

“They’re still your friends. Guess it’s good they haven’t noticed.” Lovino felt a small smile creep onto his face.

“So, what do you say? This is something we’ve always wanted to do, and we can finally explore it together.” He held out a hand.

Lovino snorted, ignoring the hand that was held out to him, and instead, swam up to Antonio. He wound his tail around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “When do we leave?”  
  
"What are you guys up to?!" Feliciano suddenly poked his head out from behind a rock and darted out to float next to Lovino, said brother cursing loudly in surprise at his appearance.  
  
Antonio and Lovino shared a glance, and knowing that he would be leaving Feliciano out of the blue, his brother would surely lose his mind if he suddenly went missing, so Lovino explained everything with brutal honesty, and told him not to stop them.

  
"I love exploring, just like you guys,” Feliciano said after the explanation, and Lovino knew what was coming next, “but that’s against the rules, and it sounds scary, and dangerous! You both realize you could get exiled, right?! What am I gonna do without you Lovi, please don’t get caught!”

He noted that, although Feliciano disagreed with what they wanted to do, he did not threaten to tell anyone about their plans. He doubted his brother would do something like that though, since he did not want either of them to get caught, leaving him to fend for himself.

After calming the frantic merman down and assuring him that, no, they will not get caught, they set out to the nearest sunken ship for them to find some clothes, his brother now in tow.

“Lovi, please don’t tell me you’re going to wear that, it’s a disaster!” Feliciano cried out as Lovino held up some tattered outfit that had seen much better days, swiped off of a skeleton long since forgotten.

“Why the hell does it matter? It’s just human cloth, do they actually care about how they look? A lot of this shit looks awful.”

“Let me help you find something,” he smiled and swam off before he could protest.

“Ugh,” Lovino rolled his eyes and simply continued on, dropping the cloth Feliciano complained about. “Find anything, Toni?!” He called out, tinkering with some fancy jewelry he found in a box nearby. He could use some of these, at least.

“Yeah! You?!”

“Fuck all!” He heard Antonio swim from around the corner, holding the loot of cloth he found in his hands as he peeked in before swimming inside.

“What do you mean, there’s something right here,” Antonio stated, moving a hand to lift the outfit Lovino had held only moments ago, wincing as he took in the sight and dropping it again. “Nevermind.”

“Seriously?” Lovino, feeling tempted to roll his eyes again, stopped as Feliciano called out from another part of the ship, before bolting into the room and nearly crashing into him.

“I found it!” He exclaimed, excitedly swimming around Lovino a couple of times before floating just above him and holding out the cloth.

Vibrant red mixed with black and faded white. It held up surprisingly well for an outfit that had been trapped under the sea for many years.

“It’s perfect! I think you’d look so handsome in it, Lovi!” Antonio sighed dreamily.

Lovino crossed his arms and turned his head, cheeks flushing somewhat at the compliment. “Sure, whatever.”


	2. Sea Shantys

It had not taken long for them to set their sights on the sea shore, and Feliciano had followed them the entire way. He was a little quieter, more uncertain, and still asked them one last time to reconsider before he had given up, and bid them farewell before they pulled themselves above the surface.

Antonio pulled himself out of the water first, wringing the clothes dry as he sat on the rocks above. He offered a hand to Lovino after, and pulled him up to sit next to him.

They sat together on the large rocks above the sea surface, watched the waves crash against the shore. Lovino leaned against Antonio, taking his hand in his own. For the first time, he saw the sun without being confined within the water, but above, on the surface. He had a view of the sea and the shore, the waves and the fish that swam bellow.

The sight was simply captivating, and he enjoyed every moment of it he shared with Antonio.

For a merperson to transform into a human, their skin must first dry, and once they had taken their human forms, they put on their clothes, now dried from being under the sun. The two had set out on foot, stumbling and catching each other as they fell, adjusting to the way a human walked as they took each step.

Antonio had taken the lead, knowing the way to where they were supposed to meet his pirate friends. 

As they tread onto the docks, Lovino found himself fascinated by them. Whatever they used, it was the same material they used for the ships, as Antonio had informed him before. He wondered how stable the surface was, considering how often ships sink.

They explored the surrounding area as they waited for dusk. There were stands by the docks where people offered fish and foods of interest in exchange for other goods. Lovino suggested not to draw too much attention, and avoid human interaction for the moment until they could learn more from his friends. As the sun began to set, a lot of the people began to pack up, likely leaving to rest for the night.

Lovino found the setting sun more captivating than he had ever seen it before. Sure, he saw it when he poked his head out of water, but to see it from this point of view was a whole new experience. 

The sky was as bright and orange as a clownfish’s body, mixed with darker reds and yellows, contrasting against the deep water of the sea bellow. A few faded clouds dotted the sky, equally as colored in a deeper crimson.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Antonio breathed out in awe beside him, appreciating the view as much as he did.

Lovino only nodded once. He frowned after as a ship blocked their view of the setting sun, stopping at the docks next to them.

A long object extended from the ship and landed on the dock, providing a walkway for the two figures that emerged from it.

Antonio’s eyes lit up, and Lovino immediately knew that they had found their guys.

“Gilbert, Francis!” Antonio called out, running up to them and stumbling on his feet like a fool, tripping into the two as he wrapped his arms around them.

Lovino had heard Antonio talk about his friends before, and could easily figure out who was who from his descriptions and stories. Francis, a pirate dressed in primarily blue with red and gold accents, as explained, courtesy of Antonio, appeared to take the gesture well and hugged him back. Gilbert, on the other hand, dressed in blue with white and gold accents, was far more enthusiastic, and looked as though he might break Antonio in the bone-crushing hug he returned.

“Good to finally see you out of the water!” Gilbert finally let go of him, giving him a rough slap on the back after.

“It’s about time our friend stopped being so shy and visited us on land, oui?” Francis teased.

Antonio laughed. His laughter was a beautiful sound, one that would always rival the setting sun.

“Yeah, guess I finally thought it was time to take a break from my swimming, you know?” He stepped back from the two, returning to Lovino’s side. “Anyways, this is Lovino,” Antonio took his hand.

“Ah, yes,” Francis spoke fondly with a knowing smile, “Antonio has told us much about you.”

Well, that was great to know. Just how much did these two guys know about him?

“Hah?! Wait a second!” Gilbert suddenly eyed them up- earning a sudden confused look from Francis- with a cocked brow and a look of bewilderment. “Neither of you seem the pirate type!” He suddenly pointed out. “I mean, I guess you’ve got the garb, but you’ve always seemed a bit too nice to be like us, Toni, and your little boyfriend here.” He gestured to Lovino nonchalantly. “He’s a bit on the- short stature. Does he even have any muscle under those clothes? Are you guys sure you wanna join us?”

“Shut up, don’t tell me what I can and can’t be, asshole!” Lovino snapped back.

Gilbert suddenly let out a boisterous laugh before roughly slapping Lovino on the shoulder, grinning wildly. “Ohoho, I like this guy. I see, his bark makes up for his bite. Did you say this little puffer fish is your husband?”

“I am not a puffer fish!” That is not the kind of merman he is, how insulting.

“Yeah, he’s the love of my life! And I’m sure I want to join you guys. You both said you weren’t like other pirates,” Antonio assured Gilbert.

“Damn right we’re not! We steal what we can to give those that need it. The stupid government won’t do anything for the people, so we take it into our own hands.” Gilbert jabbed a thumb at the ship behind him.

This guy took from other people and gave it to those in need? Lovino found himself connecting the dots with a story he had once heard of a mermaid doing the same.

“You said you two had experience with being pirates before, right? Even though you really don’t look it.” Gilbert changed the topic back to them. Was the bastard already getting suspicious of them? “Guess that means you already know most of the ropes. Well, we don’t have much time anyways. This may be our home city, but there’s stuff we’ve still gotta do tonight, a raid on a government ship full of food. You guys in or what?”

“Uh, y-yes, of course we are!” Antonio stuttered nervously.

“Great, see you guys on the ship. Say goodbye to your home because we might be awhile at sea.” He waved them off.

"You what?!" Lovino hissed angrily as he prodded Antonio's side with a finger. "You told them we're already pirates? Why couldn't you just say we were new at it?" He eyed the two pirates walking up to the ship, joking playfully with each other, blissfully unaware of the mermans' dilemma.    
  
"I was worried they would turn us down."   
  
"Toni!"   
  
"These guys are nicer than other pirates, I didn't want us to lose our chance at being able to see the human world without being too far from the sea." He frowned.   
  
Lovino sighed. He stepped in front of Antonio to gently brush the back of his fingers over his cheek. His love responded by taking his hand in his own with a gentle hold.   
  
Antonio was only trying to make him happy and find a compromise to convince him to come. Being a pirate had been a good loophole to work with when experiencing a life of a human.   
  
Besides, Antonio seems to trust these guys, and reluctantly, Lovino will trust them too.   
  
"Okay, I get it. They don't seem like the worst assholes. But we can never tell them what we are, got it? You know the stories we were told," he muttered softly. Imagining Antonio getting hurt somehow during all of this twisted his stomach in all sorts of ways.   
  
"Yeah, I know. About how some merpeople have travelled near the surface, and how they never return."   
  
"You've already put yourself in enough danger, so be careful, got it?"   
  
Antonio smiled and nodded.   
  
"Good." Noticing that Gilbert and Francis have now boarded the ship, Lovino stood on his toes to press a quick kiss to Antonio before ambling over to the pirates.   
  
Antonio's smile only widened as he followed after him.

  
"Well, since you guys are new to the ship and all, I suppose I could show you around!” Gilbert loudly announced after they had boarded the ship and set sail. A man that Gilbert called his brother, Ludwig, had been ordered to take hold of the ship’s steering before the captain had joined them.   
  
"Oh thank fuck," Lovino muttered, earning a breathy chuckle from Antonio. He was glad they would at least be shown around the ship.   
  
Gilbert looked back at them. "What's so funny?" He asked, clearly hearing Antonio's not-so-subtle laughter.   


“Nothing! We’re just excited to see the ship is all!” Antonio chirped a quick response.

“Right,” Lovino snorted, but said nothing further.

“First of all, you’ve met my bro, Ludwig.” He gestured vaguely to where Ludwig manned the ship, grunting softly in response to the introductions. “Him and Francis are basically my right and left hand guys. I trust them with my life, so if you’ve got any questions, go ahead and ask them. Although, my little bro’s a lot more strict with things than Francis, so there’s a tip for you.”

He gestured for them to follow after, and Antonio was much quicker to do so, Lovino moving behind a step. 

“Now this guy,” Gilbert draped his arm around a smaller man’s shoulders from behind, catching him off guard. Ebony hair swung sideways as Gilbert turned him to face them, grinning wildly, “he’s our navigator, you know, the guy that knows how to get anywhere. He’s the best around. Right, Kiku?”

Kiku had stiffened at the touch, startled by the arm around his shoulder, although he made no move to push him away. “Ah, yes. These are the new people you were talking about?”

“Yeah, I know they don’t look like much, but we’ll whip them into shape again in no time!”

“If you ever need assistance with anything, do not be afraid to ask,” Kiku offered politely. “I apologize for Gilbert’s behaviour, I assure you, he talks more instead of enforcing strict orders.”

Lovino frowned and quirked a brow at that.

“Hey, I’m the captain here! Now why don’t you go do your job, shoo!” He playfully swatted a hand in Kiku’s direction. Kiku sent them a polite smile before walking away from the group.

Antonio’s smile was bright at that, and he thoroughly seemed to be enjoying himself, but Lovino found himself uneasy with the situation.

“Why the hell do you guys trust each other so much?!” He blurted out suddenly, feeling a little frustrated. All he ever heard were that humans hated each other, that they were always at odds and dangerous. Why else would they sink each other’s ships and cause destruction in its wake?

Gilbert looked at him as though he had grown fins, which thankfully, he did not. “What are you talking about?”

Antonio’s smile faded, and had been replaced with concern.

Dammit, of course that would make him upset.

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of group of pirates you came from before, but here, we do shit a lot differently,” Gilbert interrupted before Lovino could speak. “We live together on the sea, and we’re free to do whatever we want. Without trust, there would be nothing holding this ship together. We would’ve sunken years ago. We work together because we are stronger together. I don’t bring anyone on this ship that I don’t trust.” 

Although Gilbert held his composure, Lovino could see a fiery gaze smouldering beneath the surface. He felt smaller in comparison, as though the man towered over them, and suddenly, Lovino understood a lot more why this guy lead this group of ragtag idiots.

However, despite having never met Lovino until now, he still trusted him, earned a nod of acknowledgement from Gilbert. He felt flattered that the leader of the ship trusted him. “Right,” he could only reply stiffly.

“Good, now moving on,” Gilbert appeared to be good at switching topics with ease. He proceeded to lead them around the ship, introducing them to his subordinates and showing them each area of their new home.   
  
"And these babies right here are the canons, but I don't need to explain any more than that, huh? I bet this whole tour has been boring for you guys, since you’ve been pirates before and all." Gilbert joked lightheartedly as they reached their final destination.

Antonio only laughed nervously, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. "R-right!"   
  
"We're totally boned," Lovino crossed his arms with a frown.


	3. Glimmering City, Shimmering Water

Just as Lovino assumed, they would be boned if they did not figure out how to be like a human, let alone a pirate of the sea. Thankfully, when they went through with the raid that night, Gilbert had merely ordered them to stay on the ship while they did all the work. 

They had planned to do everything without them anyways.

He saw the strange black cannons at work, their loud booming echoing throughout the ship, and the bright light that flashed as the black spheres were launched through the air.

Lovino could care less about fighting, but apparently these pirates were doing the right thing by doing it. How, with all of their violence, he had no clue. Maybe that was what helped them sleep at night.

The mission had been successful, of course, he did not doubt that these guys were good, what with their- mainly Gilbert’s- constant boasting, and the fact that they had not sunken their ship yet. They continued forth, and after a night’s rest, they went about their usual work on the ship again.

Gilbert, noticing Antonio and Lovino amble about the ship accompanied by Francis, who would not stop talking to them, shoved a strange object into each of their hands. “Go and make yourselves useful and mop the lower deck. I’ve got important stuff to talk to Francis about.”

Looking down, Lovino  gripped the wooden stick, finding one end had a strange rope-like cloth connected to it, heavy with water that dripped from it.

He could recognize that Antonio had been handed pail of water.

“What, have you guys never seen a mop before? Were you that privileged on your last ship?” Gilbert remarked jokingly.

“What- I mean- of course we’ve seen a mop!” Antonio exclaimed with a nod of determination.

“Yeah, obviously,” Lovino snorted, having no fucking idea what they were going to do.

“Right,” Gilbert cocked a brow at them, but said nothing more as he walked off, gesturing for Francis to follow.

Down on the lower deck, Lovino held the mop in his hands, and the two of them stood awkwardly beside each other.

Antonio dropped the pail of water, and Lovino jumped away in response. “Watch it! That’s water you’re messing with!”

“Oh, right,” he said sheepishly before holding out his hands for the mop. Lovino handed the object to him.

Antonio held the mop uncertainty, a hum in question escaping him as he examined it and showed it to Lovino, who only raised his hands defensively in response.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t know what to do with that.”

“He handed it to you though, maybe you’re supposed to have it, and I hold the water?”

He groaned as he reached out for the mop.

The mop slipped from his grasp and clattered against the ground. Lovino loudly cursed and hid behind a few barrels upon hearing the loud noise, the sound of cannons instinctively reaching his mind. “Fuck, it’s gonna blow!”

Antonio flinched, running to hide next to Lovino behind the barrels.

A moment passed.

Nothing happened.

A minute passed.

Nothing happened.

Lovino peeked out from behind the barrels. “I guess it’s save?”

Antonio breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good, I didn’t want to die today. Things were just starting to get exciting.” He chuckled lightheartedly. His optimistic attitude relieved Lovino somewhat.

They crept out from behind their hiding place, and Antonio lifted the mop again. He looked to Lovnio, sending him a look of confusion. They still had no idea what “mop the lower deck” meant. The bottom of the wooden stick was wet. Did they have to put it somewhere? 

“Oh, hello, I hope you two are adjusting well.” Kiku approached them out of nowhere, startling Lovino. “I apologize, but may I use that? I spilled something and need the mop to clean it.”

Antonio nodded and handed the mop to him.

“Thank you,” Kiku said with a small smile, taking the mop in one hand and walking over to where he had spilled some liquid. 

Lovino and Antonio followed after him, catching him in the act. Kiku had taken the mop and carefully swiped it over the ground, cleaning up some black liquid in a few quick motions, leaving thin layer of water from the absorbent fabric on the mop.

Lovino slapped a palm against his face.

“It looks like we’re the fucking idiots after all.” Lovino groaned. It should have been so obvious.

“Aw, don’t beat yourself up over it, Lovi.”

“Let’s just- get this shit cleaned up,” He suddenly took the mop from Kiku, earning a weak ‘hey’ in complaint, but nothing more.

Adjusting to the “sea life” as time passed had gotten even more unusual to say the least. Lovino had already accepted the water as his home, he breathed the ocean depths and swam through the countless strings of seaweed at the bottom.

The sea is his home.

However, living on top of the sea is an entirely different story.

Gilbert’s gang of fools were a rowdy bunch just like the top macho himself, and his right hand man, whatever human’s call that, is an interesting character as well. All about beauty and love, and other ramblings that he pestered Lovino and other members of the crew about. It made him question how the two found each other and are now pirates of all things. Ludwig was also strange, compared to the gang of misfits, more strict and leader-like than his brother, which rubbed Lovino the wrong way. Kiku was surprisingly not all that bad, and he felt a little bad for all the bullshit he had to deal with, although the guy did seem fond of his crewmates, despite not being as hands on with them as the others.

Antonio had a great time with them, he fit right in, and Lovino found some happiness in seeing him so happy with the group of vigilante pirates.

Sleeping together as humans had been awkward too, however. There were too many limbs, their legs kept tangling around each other. It was not unwelcoming, but it felt strange nonetheless. Sometimes he found that he had accidentally knocked Antonio off of the bed with his feet in the middle of the night. Antonio assured him that is was fine after, and laughed it off, admitting it was funny, and teasing him about how he still needed to adjust to having legs.

Around two weeks had passed, and Lovino could confidently say that he was starting to adjust to everything.

He may not be an experienced pirate, but he could not help but feel that their ship was being followed. Sometimes when he glimpsed over the side, he would catch sight of something swimming in the water alongside them before disappearing deeper into the ocean.

He wondered if he should mention it to Gilbert, but thought against it. It was probably a stupid dolphin or something interested in the ship’s hull.

It had taken a couple more days of traveling before they had finally arrived on land again. The docks they descended upon were entirely different from the docks where they began their journey. As Lovino set his foot down on land, he felt Antonio’s hand on the small of his back, stopping beside him as they looked at the lights of the bustling market before them, glowing in the night and setting the city alight.

They glowed a bright orange, and a few others glowed a green or blue color, wrapped in small lanterns that gave the illusion of colored lights. 

“They’re pretty, aren’t they? All those lights. It’s like seeing jellyfish glow in the dark.” Lovino turned his head to look up at Antonio when he spoke.

“Yeah, I guess.” He muttered. Antonio smiled brightly at his response, and he could not help but smile a little in return.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Gilbert shoved himself between them, draping his arms around their shoulders, “we’ve got some business to attend to. Feel free to join us, or look around. Francis, Luddy, and I can deal with it. Just delivering those goods we got from that ship to those that need it. This city hosts a festival every year, it looks like we’re lucky enough to see it this time.”

Gilbert stepped ahead of them, spreading his arms out and smelling the air. “I’ve definitely gotta come back and grab some food.”

Lovino reached out to take Antonio’s hand. “This is the perfect chance,” he whispered to him. The perfect chance to explore the land of the human world.

Antonio smiled and nodded in understanding.

“We’re just gonna look around. You do whatever.” Lovino stated.

Gilbert shrugged and turned back to them, pulling a pouch from his side and tossing it to Lovino. He caught it in his hands and saw it was full of the tiny golden objects he found in boxes under the sea. “If you guys are gonna do some shopping, you might need that, but don’t forget to get me something too.” He winked and patted Lovino on the shoulder, grinning at him before smiling at Antonio. He called for Francis and Ludwig to start carrying the boxes and barrels down.

Some members of the crew joined to help, while others went into the markets where the festival was hosted.

Lovino and Antonio began their journey through the city, fascinated by the amount of people and lights. Children played, others laughed, many moved to the rhythm of music, it could lift the spirits of one of the saddest individuals. The atmosphere radiates warmth and a sense of belonging.

A particular necklace in the marketplace caught Lovino’s attention, a swordfish engraved in some sort of gem, while Antonio had bought some food traditionally made by humans, something that was not fish or seaweed, but created from the land itself. Lovino pulled the necklace around his neck after he bought it. Antonio approached him after, holding out some food for him to take.

He smiled and took some, wanting to try the treat for himself.

For Gilbert, they encountered a stand full of different ales, and bought one of the best ones of the market provided.

At some point, they found themselves dancing to the rhythm of music together. Antonio laughed as Lovino dipped him, and they shared a brief kiss.

After they had thoroughly explored the festival, they made their journey through the city to see the surrounding land.

They took their time as they reached the outskirts of the city, examining the plants and wildlife that surrounded the area. They eventually stopped on top of a large rock that overlooked the festival and nearby docks. Antonio rambled on about the other crew members, and how much he enjoyed spending time with them.

“I don’t think I’m getting along with everyone that well,” Lovino muttered in response. 

“Francis and Gilbert really like you, you know. Everyone does.”

“You really think that?”

Antonio took his hands without hesitation and squeezed them assuringly. “Yeah, have you noticed how Gilbert slaps your shoulder a lot? That’s his way of showing affection. Francis likes to talk a lot to the people he likes, and I’ve seen him talking to you a few times, even though you never look too happy about it.” Antonio chuckled, undoubtedly remembering that whenever Francis spoke to Lovino, he would have a resting face of pure irritation.

“Ludwig smiles sometimes,” Antonio continued, “and I think he likes everyone, even though he always looks grumpy. Oh! And Kiku, he really seems to like you too. Which is funny because Gilbert told me that he tends to keep to himself. They’re your friends too, Lovi, just like how they’re mine. I can tell they really care about you.”

Lovino snorted in amusement. “Humans are so weird. They all express stuff differently.”

“Just like us. We have so much in common with humans.” Since when did Antonio get so good at reading the human body language? “It’s too bad they can’t know about us.” He turned his head to the ocean, looking to the ship that floated at the docks.

“No, they can’t.” Lovino followed his gaze, watching the water shimmer with life under the reflection of the moon. Antonio pulled him into a warm embrace as they stood there in silence, soaking in the atmosphere, and gently rested his forehead against Lovino’s. 

He looked up at him in response. Antonio’s hand lightly cupped his cheek before he shared a tender kiss with him. A kiss that lingered for an eternity. Lovino wound his arms around his waist in response, humming in content.

He could stay in this moment forever.

“What was that for?” Lovino mumbled softly as he pulled away.

“I love you, Lovino. I’m so happy we followed our dream together.” He smiled, voice full of emotion.

Lovino pulled him down for a deeper, more passionate kiss, and Antonio eagerly returned it.

“I love you too, Antonio. I-” he hesitated, but reminded himself that Antonio was the only one here, the love of his life. He deserved to hear everything. “I’m really happy too. Thank you, Toni, for everything. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” He smiled, a genuine smile that tended to be reserved for Antonio’s eyes alone.

They stood in contented silence.

“Guess we should head back before the bastards leave us, huh?” Letting go of him, Lovino finally spoke. Deep down he wished this moment would never end. 

“Yeah, I bet they’re waiting for us.” Antonio bit at his lower lip, appearing reluctant of the idea to.

A short trip back to the ship had immediately put them back out at sea, Gilbert hardly giving everyone enough time to fully enjoy the entire festival.


	4. Humanity

With a new outlook of everyone, Lovino soon understood that what Antonio said was not complete nonsense. Everyone on board had their own ways of showing affection and appreciation. It was like some kind of weird pirate family they somehow had become a part of.

Days turned to weeks once more, and Lovino had began to feel as though he was a part of the pirate crew. Even without Antonio by his side, while they were seperated, he managed on his own with their weird family of humans. They fought against other ships and explored distant lands they never dreamed of seeing. Lovino felt happy.

He had almost forgotten about his life as a mermaid, their journey had felt so long, but with the ocean so close by, his roots always called to him still.

Frequently, he would stare over the edge, watching the water pass by. Sometimes, he would see something in the ocean, and felt as though they were still being followed, but again, he did not think it was important enough to mention to Gilbert. What could possibly follow them under water?

Lovino sat below the main floor of the deck one night, sharing a drink with Antonio and Francis while a storm poured over the top floor, unable to go outside due to the rain. 

That was when the situation turned grave, a reminder that although humans could be kind, they were equally as dangerous.

Francis exclaimed in surprise as a cannonball ripped through the ship with ease, shattering the bottle of wine he held in his hand, the large object whizzing past all three of them. Lovino felt uneasy, the thought of that hitting one of them had been overwhelming. Antonio rushed to his side and asked if he was alright.

“I’m fine, you should worry about yourself,” he snapped in return, blood running cold from the mere idea of Antonio dying and being unable to protect him. 

Francis withdrew his sword and ran up the stairs to the main deck.

“Antonio,” Lovino suddenly cupped his cheeks in his hands, “maybe we should consider leaving,” he suddenly said.

“We can’t leave them now!” He protested. “They need our help! They could get hurt.”

“You could get hurt.” Lovino retorted.

Antonio huffed and stood up, running after Francis.

“Dammit, Toni!” Lovino ran after him, stumbling as another cannonball breached the ship.

He stopped when Antonio halted at the entrance to the main deck, shielding himself from the rain the poured through the cracks.

The storm outside was getting worse. 

“How are you gonna help them, huh?!” Lovino’s main defense to hide his fear was anger.

“I-” he started and looked back to Lovino- “there’s the canons. We could use them.” 

“The other guys are on them. They’ll be firing back any second.”

“Well, whatever we can do! They’re our friends, Lovi, we’ve gotta do something.”

“Humans and their wars,” Lovino hissed softly before moving past Antonio and cracking open the door. 

He could hear Gilbert shouting orders, the sounds of cannons being fired, muffled by the heavy rain.

“Careful, Lovi, the water!”

The ship cracked and groaned as the cannonballs continued to breach the ship, causing more wood to splinter and break in the lower floors. 

“Gilbert, we can only take a few more hits before we sink!” Francis shouted.

“Their ship’s power is overwhelming!” Kiku hollered after.

“They’re right, we have to retreat!” Ludwig’s voice boomed over the rain.

“We won’t last that long!” Francis called back.

Lovino peered through the crack and saw everyone scattering to gain their ground and make a counterattack.

A cannonball drilled through the top deck, Gilbert had been knocked over from the impact, a piece of wood impaling his shoulder as it splintered under the force. He fell back and gripped at his shoulder, cursing aloud.

“Gilbert!” Francis and Ludwig cried out in usion while Kiku stumbled and ran to his side.

He could feel the ship begin to lurch, the damage becoming too much to bear. 

“Fuck,” Lovino muttered. “Fuck!” He exclaimed.

Before he knew it, he swung the door open and launched himself outside into the rain.

No one is going to die on his watch.

Lovino yelped as the ship jerked sideways, stumbling and slipping under the drenched surface of wood and splintered cargo. He landed on his hind and slid to the side railing, clutching onto it before he could trip off of the side and fall overboard. 

He saw the depths of the water below, calling back to him once more, where he belonged. The ship lurched again, this time pulling back, desperately trying to regain balance on the water, fighting against the waves of the storm and scars from battle.

“Lovi! What are you doing?!” He flung his head in the direction of Antonio’s voice, spotting him at the doorway where he hid from the raging storm and battle. “You’re going to blow our cover!”

“There’s going to be no cover blown if we’re all dead!” He snapped back. “I have an idea!” He stepped up onto the railing of the boat.

“Wait, Lovi!” He cried out, but Lovino had already jumped off.

He felt his form shift as he landed in the water, and found himself struggling momentarily as he adjusted to his tail again.

The motions quickly became natural to him, and Lovino darted to the enemy ship, the thunderous blows of the canons, and the crackle of lightning mixed with the heavy rain, rippled through the water and disrupted the calm nature of the ocean.

His hands pressed to the hull of the assailant’s ship, glancing over the exterior before swimming to the other side.

Knocking on the wood, his fingers skimmed over a spot that felt slightly cracked. He found a weak spot within the hull. All he needed was enough strength to tear it open, and the ship should sink.

Without finding anything at hand, Lovino found himself shredding at the wood with his sharp teeth before pushing against it with his own weight. His struggling was just not enough.

“Lovino! I thought you’d ran off, I-” Antonio approached him suddenly. He must have followed him off of the ship only a minute after he jumped.

“Why the fuck would I run off when our friends are in danger? Especially without you.”

Antonio sent him a smile before a look of determination crossed his features. “How can I help?”

“Your teeth are sharper than mine, help me breach this hull. If we can put holes in it below water, it should sink faster.”

It would be a feeble effort, but to hell with it, if it contributed somehow, it was worth a try. Antonio seemed to agree because he joined him without hesitation as they pushed and gnawed at the wood.

After a couple of minutes of trying, Lovino slammed his fists onto the side of the ship. “This is useless! We need something better!”

“Look out!” On queue, a familiar voice suddenly shouted.

In unison, Lovino and Antonio spun around to see a giant shark barreling at full speed towards them.

Crying out in surprise, they both evaded the shark in the nic of time before it collided with the side of the ship, ripping It’s large jaws into the fragile and splintered wood.

More sharks began to encircle the ship, making efforts to rip and shred at the hull. With the sheer amount of them, the ship stood no chance against the army.

“Hey guys! I’ve really missed you, it’s so good to see you two back! I was starting to get really lonely!”

Lovino gaped in surprise as the first shark to initiate the attack spoke, that was, until Feliciano poked his head out from above the shark. He gently pet the creature’s snout and smiled brightly at the two.

“I made some friends while you were gone! I saw you needed help, so I called for them!”

“I fucking love you, Feli!” Lovino launched himself at his brother and spun him around in the water.

Antonio was quick to jump in and pull them into a group hug. “Feli, thank you!” 

Lovino began to connect the dots. That thing he saw in the water following them. “Wait, have you been following us this whole time?!”

“Yeah, was it that obvious?” Feliciano laughed softly.

“Yes, you dumbass!” He hugged his brother tighter. Feliciano may get on his nerves sometimes, but he has never been happier to see him in this moment.

A loud crack reverberated through the water, and all of the sharks halted their assault.

Turning their heads, they watched as a large crack erupted throughout the ship, splitting it in half. Each side began to sink in a different direction, the hull having been destroyed by their sharp-toothed saviors.

“We should get going before any humans see us,” Feliciano suggested.

Lovino looked to Antonio and met his gaze.

“I guess we can’t go back looking like this, huh?” Antonio’s eyes cast downwards dejectedly. 

“We shouldn’t” Lovino chewed at his lower lip. “Besides, it’s still pouring. There’s no way we can get dry anywhere.

“You’re right,” Antonio looked to Feliciano and nodded, “let’s go.”

“Home’s back this way.” Feliciano gestured with his head before taking the lead back home.


	5. A New Bond

The journey had been shorter than Lovino expected, only a few days of travel. He briefly wondered if Gilbert had been taking them all back to the docks where they had first met. It was the place they always seemed to drift back to after all, where they had met Antonio and frequently visited him.

Antonio had not taken it well. They had never gotten to say goodbye to the friends they had made, and it was taking a toll on him. Lovino felt his heart weigh heavy as well. He managed to find other people aside from Antonio and Feliciano that could stand his company, and now they may never be able to see them again. At least they were able to save their friends in the end.

Lovino found himself sitting alone on the very rock he had laid on before their entire journey began. He watched as the same two crabs fought each other for the spot again. Some things never change, yet he felt that everything else has.

Growing fed up with the constant snipping of pincers, Lovino slammed his tail down between the crabs to separate them. The gesture had been startling enough to make them settle down and sit on either side of his tail respectively.

Where the hell was Antonio? Lovino had something in mind for him, and he was growing impatient due to the stupid crabs.

“Lovino,” said merman approached him from behind, “what are you doing here?”

“What? I’ve taken a liking to this spot. I’m gonna keep fighting these stupid crabs for it too if I have to.”

That earned a soft chuckle from Antonio. He rarely heard that beautiful noise for the past two weeks. They have been in low spirits since they returned, but that was about to change. “It’s not even daylight though.”

“That’s exactly what I want.” Lovino suddenly stood up and took Antonio’s hand in his. “Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Huh, what is it?” Puzzled, he followed after him. 

It had only taken a few minutes to reach the docks Antonio would always frequent to visit Gilbert and Francis.

He had seen the ship earlier, and hoped they had not taken off yet. Much to his luck, they were still there.

Poking his head out from underwater, there he saw it. Gilbert and Francis sitting at the docks, their feet dangling off of the edge and nearly touching the water bellow. Gilbert had his coat off, exposing his bandaged shoulder that had been injured from the battle, arm resting over his leg, his other hand sporting a bottle of ale in it. At least the bastard is still alive. 

Antonio pulled him back underwater. “Are they over there?”

“See for yourself.”

Antonio did so, and peeked out of the water before ducking down again. “They’re alive!” He cheered, but his face soon fell. “But we can never see them again. There’s no way a normal human would be able to swim back to shore from that.”

“So what? Why don’t we go see them?” Lovino shrugged.

“But, Lovi-!” Lovino lightly shoved Antonio towards the docks.

“Let’s go!”

Antonio hesitantly swam towards the docks and stopped before getting too close. “This is where I normally stop to talk to them.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

“But-”

“Go on. I’m right here,” Lovino assured him. 

Slowly, Antonio raised his head from the water, and Lovino could hear his muffled greeting to them from under water.

He poked his head out of the water again after, catching sight of Gilbert jumping to his feet and Francis following suit.  “Mein gott, I thought you were both dead!” He shouted. “But you’re alive! I can’t believe it! How?!” His voice wavered with emotion, that was no doubt genuine, but heavily mixed with alcohol.

“Yeah, and we sure gave that ship hell, you owe us one, you white haired bastard!” Lovino gloated, swimming closer to the two at the docks.

“What are you doing?” Shock was evident in Antonio’s face.

“It’s okay. I trust them.”

“Lovi,” Antonio breathed softly before smiling at him, knowing just how much those words meant. He slowly swam behind him.

“What are you talking about, puffer fish, we kicked that ship’s ass, you two went and fell overboard!” Gilbert jabbed a finger pointedly at him.

“You, sink an entire ship like that by yourself?! Don’t make me laugh!” Lovino continued to tease him.

“What?!” Gilbert shouted. A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, and he looked to Francis, watching as he silently pointed to Lovino and Antonio in shock. “What is it?!”

He spun his head back to face them, eyes widening in shock now that they were in close proximity, their scales exposed and shimmering with the water, fins vibrant and unable to be missed.

Gilbert looked nearly ready to choke, his expression priceless.

“You are seeing this as well, oui?” Francis said in response to his friend before he turned to face the two merpeople. “You’re both mermaids? I always thought they were just a fairytale, but you’re real?”

“Merpeople, but mermaids works too, I guess,” Lovino grumbled.

“I’m either really fucking drunk, or this is real.” Gilbert looked into his empty glass of ale, hiccuping as he did so.

“Pick either one, I don’t care,” Lovino responded. 

Losing his energy to stand, the shock clearly too much, Gilbert flopped back down on the docks. Francis sat down again next to him. Lovino and Antonio now hovered in the water beneath them at their feet.

“We’ve just had a couple of merpeople on our ship this entire time, huh?” Gilbert muttered weakly.

“Yeah, it appears so.” Francis responds, patting him on the shoulder sympathetically.

Gilbert looked down at them both. “Why come back?”

“We just wanted to say goodbye, because we never got the chance to before.” Antonio answered honestly. “And you’re our friends.”

“Does it really have to be the last time?” He frowned in disappointment.

“Merpeople and humans are not supposed to interact with each other. We have already broken so many rules just to be with you guys. Now that you know we’re merpeople too, I can’t imagine what could happen to us. We may be forbidden from entering the sea again.”

“Who cares about them then!” Gilbert exclaimed, reaching out his hands to Antonio. “Come here, let’s get you up.” Antonio obliged and held out his hands, letting Gilbert help him up to sit next to him. He held out his hands to Lovino after, and with hesitance, he took them in return. The captain hoisted him up to sit on the other side of him.

Thankfully, in the late hours of the night, no one else would witness a couple of mermaids sitting on the docks.

“You guys are more than welcome to join us again, anytime. We need people like you to help us kick ass,” Gilbert laughed. “But seriously, you guys will always be a part of my crew. Even if you get kicked out of your fancy merpeople society, you can stay with us.”

To be surprised with how welcoming Gilbert is of them, was a complete understatement for Lovino.

Gilbert wrapped his arms around their shoulders with a grin. Francis began to fill them in on every single detail about what happened after they were separated, and how it would take a couple months to repair the ship and set sail again.

Briefly, Lovino considered tying the broken string between humans and merpeople.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for your gift being so late! It had already been so late when I ended up taking it on as a back-up santa. I wanted to make up for it, so this fic ended up turning into a near 10k fic for you! However, due to the fic being longer, it ironically made your gift a little more late too. Anyways, I really hope you liked it!


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